Experimental Psychology

This online course is ideal preparation for students thinking of studying psychology, medicine, and related subjects at university, exploring the branch of Psychology that explores the workings of the mind through scientific experiments.

This online course is ideal preparation for students thinking of studying psychology, medicine, and related subjects at university, exploring the branch of Psychology that explores the workings of the mind through scientific experiments.

Course Summary

This course includes:

4 X Interactive Tutorials

Online quizzes and exams

Access to the course discussion forum

Course worksheets and case studies

ORA Certificate of completion

Overview

Have you ever wondered about the notion of identity? Or how and why our personalities develop? These are just some of the questions covered by the field of developmental psychology.

If you have ever wondered what makes you, “you”, or about the relationship between the “mind” and the brain, or what consciousness is, or how visual illusions fool our mind, then you may be interested in the study of experimental psychology.

The course is designed to give students a basic overview of the study of experimental psychology at university, looking at the major areas that constitute an experimental psychology degree. The fascinating case studies looked at in this course – such as the mysterious case of Phineas Gage, the American railway worker who survived an iron bar passing through his brain – will provide great material to help you in your application or simply provide an insight into a fascinating area of study.

This tutorial will explore what experimental psychology is and what it is not. It begins by discussing the scope and areas of experimental psychology before exploring the science that underpins it. The tutorial then considers the questions that can be answered by experimental psychology and ends with a discussion on undergraduate degrees in the subject.

Experimental psychology is often said to have ‘a long history, but a short past.’ This tutorial will explore the development of the discipline from its origins in the philosophical explorations of Ancient Greece through to modern-day thought and practice.

This tutorial will consider the processes behind experimental psychology. It begins with an explanation of the experimental method before exploring the key features of experiments. The tutorial ends with an analysis of two classic psychological experiments.

This tutorial brings us fully up-to-date with experimental psychology and its new methods and avenues of exploration. The tutorial will then move on to explore the relatively recent concepts of cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychology, before ending with a discussion of computer modelling.

Key Details

Course Pre-requisites

Advanced level of EnglishAn interest and enthusiasm for science, with particular reference to Psychology This course would suit students studying towards A-level Sociology/Psychology or equivalent, and in particular those interested in further university study of Psychology.

Course Level

For students applying to university to study Psychology, Medicine, Social Sciences or related subjects

Difficulty

Moderate

Prior Knowledge

No prior knowledge is required to take this course, just enthusiasm for the subject.

gain a thorough understanding of the fundamental concepts and processes of Experimental Psychology

establish whether Experimental Psychology is for you

learn how to design your own psychological experiment

broaden your knowledge base in order to support your application

discuss with confidence the fundamental principles of Experimental Psychology

decide for themselves whether an Experimental Psychology degree is what they want to study

gain the groundwork from which they can pursue their own further research into this fascinating field of study

Course Author

Dr Jane Humphreys

Jane Humphreys studied English Literature at King’s College Cambridge, and in doing so was one of a small band of 30 women to break the college’s 500-year-old tradition of allowing only male students to enrol. She later took her doctorate at Bristol University in the Experimental Psychology department, with a thesis investigating the processes by which we transfer information from the printed word into meaningful mental representations.

Oxford Royale Academy is a part of Oxford Programs Limited, UK company number 6045196. The company contracts with institutions including Oxford University for the use of their facilities and also contracts with tutors from those institutions but does not operate under the aegis of Oxford University.

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